Fiber hover



April 29, 1941. T. D. ABERCROMBXE FIBER HOVER Filed June 9, 1938 il yimmunmm H IN VENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 29, 194i u-Nrreo STATES- earsr 2,239,836 FIBER HOVER TylerD. Aberc'rombie, Ashburn, Ga.

ApplicationJune 9, 1938, SerialNa. 212,822

' 1 'Claim. (Cl. 119-33) This invention relates to improvements inhovers for small chickens or the like, and more particularlyto ahoverwhich will be formed with a body portion supported upon legs, andhaving depending strands of fiber or hemp whereby small chickens mayhover under the device to keep warm.

An object of my invention is to provide a fiber hover for smallchickens,the same being supported upon suitable legs a short distance from theground, and provided with a plurality of depending pieces of hemp rope,having their lower portions unraveled to provide a bed or mass of fiberwhereby the small chickens may get in between the fibers to keep warm,and the further provision of a cap or cover for said hover provided withmeans for heating the hover.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved chicken hoverincluding a body portion having supporting legs and a plurality oftransversely disposed spaced slats between which are suspended shortsections of 'fiber or hemp rope, said sections of rope being unraveledto produce a mass effect adjacent the ground whereby the small chickensmay get in between the fibers to keep warm, and the further provision ofa removable cover having heating means supported therein adapted todirect heat down through the opening between the sections or pieces ofthe fiber or hemp rope, to assist in keeping the small chickens warm.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved chicken hoverwhich will be highly eflicient in operation, and which will berelatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of my application,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through my improved fiberhover;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through my improved fiber hover.

Like characters of reference are used through-.

out the following specification and the accompanying drawings todesignate corresponding v parts.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a hover for small chickensincluding a body portion generally denoted by the reference numeral I,said body portion comprising the oppositely disposed side rails 2 and aplurality of transversely disposed spaced cross rails 3 secured in anydesired manner to said side rails. Suitable supporting legs I areprovided at the corners of the body portion I g and support the hover aslight distance fromthe surfaceof the ground, where the small chickensmay readily run under the same to keep warm.

Disposed between the adjacent spaced side rails 2, I have provided aplurality of clusters of fibrous material and these clusters may consistof short lengths of hemp rope, which are attached to the edge surfacesof said rails by means of the staples 5. The sections of rope 6 extenddownwardly below the body portion I of the hover, and have their lowerextremities unraveled to provide a mass of strands arranged in closeproximity to each other, to form the effect of a mat, as indicated bythe reference numeral I. As seen from the drawing, the strands of fiberformin the mat I will extend down to approximately one inch from thesurface of the ground, where the small chickens may readily run in underthe mat between the strands or fibers of the rope, thus providing anefficient form of hover. As shown in Figure 2 the secured ends of thestrands 6 are spaced apart and also serve to insure proper spacing ofthe rails 3 while being assembled so that heated air thus is free toescape downwardly between the rails and seep between the lower portionsof the suspended fibres. Consequently an even distribution of the heatedair is effected.

Cooperating with the body portion I, I have provided a substantiallyrectangular shaped cover 8 having depending sides 9 and ends ID. Thecorners of the cover 8 extend all the way down to the top of the bodyportion I', but the central portions of the ends of the cover betweenthe adjacent end corners are cut out to fit over the adjacent side rails2 when the cover is in operative position upon the body portion I. Thusa heating chamber is provided with the rails 3 forming the bottomthereof.

Attention is called to the fact that each row of spaced clusters offibers is gripped by one side of the rail 3 next adjoining the rail towhich the fibers are secured.

I have illustrated spring latch members I 9 disposed at the oppositesides of the cover, said latches being adapted to engage and snap overthe side locking means 20 formed on the opposite sides of the side rails2, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

The opposite ends of the body portion I are notched out as at ill toprovide handle openings whereby the hover may be moved from place toplace. It will be understood that as many of these hovers as desired maybe employed, thereby using them in bank formation, or they may be usedsingly, as desired.

By referring to Figures 1 and 2 it will be noted that the clusters offibers form cross air spaces or passages 22 extending under the rails 3so that heated air flowing downwardly through the vents between therails will be distributed over the mass formed by the closely fittinglower or unraveled ends of the clusters and which mass substantiallyfills the area between the legs 4.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provideda highly emcient form of fiber hover utilizing a desired form of aheating medium to assist in keeping small chickens warm, and thesehovers may be used in any formation or arrangement as desired to suitthe condition in the particular chicken house.

It will be understood that While I have described and illustrated oneform of my improved fiber hover for small chickens, I do not intend tolimit myself to this specific construction, as it is readily understoodthat many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted towithout departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A hover including a box-like casing defining a heating chamber, legssupporting the casing at its corners, parallel rails constituting thebottom of said chamber, a row of spaced clusters of fibrous materialattached to one side of each rail and gripped by one side of the nextadjoining rail, said clusters of material being suspended below therails and all of the clusters being grad.- ually enlarged in a downwarddirection to provide crossed communicating air spaces under the rails.and a compact mass of fibers below said spaces TYLER D. ABERCR'OMBIE.

